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The charity and the RSPCA receive 31,000 calls reporting stray cats a year - a third higher than 2009.

Cat Protection estimates that in received 20,000 calls between July and September this year alone.

Kate Bunting of Cat Protection told the Independent: 'Since the UK entered recession we have received many more requests from people to take in their cats, with owners saying they are losing their jobs, their homes, or moving into rented accommodation.

Struggling: The increase has been put down to families struggling in the financial crisis (posed by model)

'It can be very difficult for us to take in all these cats, especially at short notice.'

Last year Cats Protection spent over £6 million supporting the neutering of over 191,000 owned, stray and feral cats and kittens across the UK – more than one every three minutes.

But the only way to ensure the population is brought under control is for owners to get their cats neutered earlier than the traditionally recommended six months.

Maggie Roberts, Cats Protection’s Director of Veterinary Services, said: 'Cats are such prolific breeders that if we didn’t neuter them, we would have a population explosion that would end up with sick, stray and abandoned cats roaming the streets. As a nation of animal lovers, I don’t think anyone would find this acceptable.

However, our research reveals 94 per cent of cat owners don’t release that cats can get pregnant as early as four months of age so we are working with the veterinary profession and the public to encourage cat neutering around four months of age, which is a significant move away from the traditional six months.'